Now he let loose of the buckle and turned slowly, moving away from the girl until he was sitting on the side of the bed. Intruder and abuser studied each other.
So this is the old man, he thought calmly. I wonder how he got this far. He recalled the warnings repeated by Huddy and Somerset. Now that he was actually face to face with their inspiration, it was hard to take any of them seriously. Drew could not recall seeing a less menacing individual. The old man was panting hard, his face was flushed, and every so often he winced in obvious pain. He didn’t appear to be a danger to anyone except himself.
Still … that part of Drews’s mind which had rescued him from situations which had been the death of less cautious men caused him to consider what was known instead of what was merely visible. He disliked Somerset and Huddy intensely, but he also respected them. They were not idiots. Therefore it was just barely possible that this man was more dangerous than he looked. Drew hadn’t forgotten Benson.
So he stayed close to the girl, reached over, and put one hand gently but possessively on her throat. She inhaled sharply but didn’t resist. Good girl, he thought.
“I wouldn’t come any closer, old man,” he said quietly. “I’m still not sure what it is you can or can’t do, but all I have to do is push real hard with my fingers here, and they’ll go right through this little lady’s throat. You don’t want that, and neither do I. So don’t do anything to make me nervous, okay?”
Uncertain how to proceed, Jake just stood there. Amanda stared imploringly at him, motionless.
“Don’t make him panic, Uncle Jake,” she thought at him. “Don’t rush him into anything. We’ll work something out, but don’t push this man. He really will kill me.”
His heart was trip-hammering on his ribs, but now wasn’t the time for measuring out medication. Besides, there was the real possibility that a reach for a shirt pocket would be dangerously misinterpreted by the man on the bed.
So they stared at each other, Jake unable to decide what to do next, Drew considering how best to inform others of his situation. As it developed he didn’t have to, because a breathless Huddy burst into the room followed by an equally anxious Somerset.
A strange calm came over Jake Pickett as he locked eyes with the young executive. “Mr. Huddy. I haven’t seen you in a long time, but I sure have felt your presence around me. You really want me to take those tests of yours, don’t you?”
“Take it easy, Jake,” said Huddy. They had him, he thought with relief! They finally had him. The most important thing now was to get him to relax. “Don’t get yourself upset. There’s no reason for it. Remember your heart.”
“Funny, but I don’t care much about that anymore,” Jake murmured softly. “It’s hurting bad right now, but somehow it doesn’t bother me.” He found that he could almost smile.
“Jake,” said Huddy, smiling himself, that wide, practiced, phony smile, “we can work this out. I know it’s looked bad this past week or so, but that was the result of overeager people who exceeded their authority in direct contravention of my orders. I’ve already seen to it that they’ll be suitably punished. You and I, we don’t have anything to do with that, do we?” He extended his right hand and took a step forward.
“Don’t you take another step, Mr. Huddy,” said Jake coldly. “You hear me? Don’t you take another step.”
Huddy froze. He was acutely conscious of the ceiling overhead, the floor beneath his feet. They had a better idea now of what Pickett was capable of. If he could dissasemble guns and cars and bridge supports, there was no doubt in the executive’s mind that he could do the same thing to floors and ceilings. So he retraced his single step, slowly and carefully, the vapid grin still locked on his face.
“You tell him, that man,” Jake continued, pointing a shaky finger at Drew, “to get away from Amanda.”
“I can’t do that, Jake,” said Huddy sadly, “until you and I come to some kind of agreement about this testing business.”
“I’m not going to do what you want,” Jake said firmly.
“Then I can’t very well ask my friend Drew to take his hand away from your grandniece’s throat, can I?”
“You better,” said Pickett.
“Mr. Pickett,” Somerset began, stepping forward, “you don’t know me. We’ve never met. But I personally don’t want to see you or your grandniece hurt. I don’t want to see anyone hurt.”
“Neither do I,” Jake confessed, “but you two want something, and you don’t much care what you do to get it. That’s the trouble with people like you. All you ever do is want.”
“Now what the hell does this sideshow portend?” said a new and unexpected voice. Everyone turned to face the doorway.
The man who strode into the room had thin white hair and stood taller than Huddy and Drew. His suit and tie were silk, his shoes of some fine and unidentifiable leather. He was nearly as old as Jake Pickett. The two men who flanked him were considerably younger. They did not bother to try and conceal the presence of the guns in their fists.
Huddy’s lower jaw dropped. “Mr. Rutherford?”
“Who’s this guy?” asked Drew, unimpressed.
The tall figure glanced at him. “Ah, the redoubtable Mr. Drew. They’ve told me you do good work. So it would appear.” Drew made no response; he waited to see what would happen next.
The newcomer moved into the bedroom, careful to stay well away from Jake. His younger companions matched him stride for stride.
“Allow me to introduce myself, Mr … Pickett, is it?” Jake nodded once, warily eyeing this new problem and the two gunmen who accompanied him. “I am Charelton Rutherford, Chairman of the Board of Consolidated Chemicals and Mining.” He executed a little half-bow, as it seemed to him that he would not be permitted the familiarity of a handshake.
“These two impetuous and not-too-bright young people”—and he gestured casually toward Huddy and Somerset—“are employees of mine. Low-grade employees. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with them this past week, but I felt it best if I remained out of the picture. However, when I was informed that events seemed to be coming to a head down here and that these two appeared incapable of resolving them in a satisfactory manner, I felt compelled to fly out from New York to oversee things myself. I’m glad I managed to arrive in time.” He smiled thinly at Huddy.
“Really, son. Kidnapping of an innocent second party. Foolish and unnecessary. It’s one thing to try picking up an elderly gentleman like this Mr. Pickett in a motel room, quite another to bring the FBI into the business. And to use CCM property to hold the kidnapped party….” He was shaking his head slowly, regretfully. “Inexcusably stupid.”
“Mr. Rutherford,” Somerset began lamely, “we had no idea that we would have to—”
“To what? To go this far? To make this choice? People of limited capacity rarely see all the choices. Now you’ve forced me to become personally involved.” He saw their stunned expressions and nearly laughed.
“Oh, come now, you can’t still be wondering what I’m doing here? Did you really think the two of you could play your little games in private while utilizing corporate facilities? Don’t you think that I’m aware of what goes on within my own company? That I don’t have people watching my own people? Don’t you think that CCM takes precautions to guard against internal as well as external industrial sabotage and espionage?” He turned away from them.
“I confess that at first I was very doubtful about the stories my people were referring to New York, but you, Mr. Pickett, you have provided more than enough proof for those tales. For that and that alone”—he glanced contemptuously at Huddy—“I give you credit, young man. The fact that you have thoroughly botched everything you’ve attempted subsequent to your initial discovery more than cancels out any credit you might have accrued.”
“Mr. Rutherford, I’m sorry if we—”
“Shut up,” the Chairman said brusquely. “I’ve been following your inept attempts to convince Mr. Pickett to undergo parapsychological testing for the benfit of the company ever since you started putting in unauthorized requests for personnel all over the Southwest. You blazed quite a trail, Huddy.
“And you, Somerset. Extensive and unjustifiable use of computer time and facilities. Illegal manipulation of a police officer.” She went blank for a moment and he added, “Your erstwhile friend Lieutenant Puteney was very angry when you didn’t give him a date.” He clucked his tongue. “The two of you have a lot to answer for.”
“But it will all pan out, Mr. Rutherford, sir,” said Somerset. “I know we’ve made some mistakes, but it’s all been worthwhile.” She gestured at Pickett, who stood quietly off to one side, watching and listening. “He’ll make it all worthwhile.”
“Perhaps,” admitted Rutherford. “Perhaps in this case the ends might justify the means. We will see. You had better pray, the two of you, that they do.” He looked across to the old man who was the subject of their discussion.
